Page 28 of Unsteady: How to Fail at Flirting
“That’s the way you look to me all the time,” I say.
“I need to sit,” she says, pushing me into oversized chair hidden under an arbor of flowers nearby.
I laugh as she climbs into my lap, circles her arms around my shoulders, and kisses me. It’s different from the grateful kiss she gave me in the truck. It’s long, sweet, and intoxicating. The birds chirp above us. Bees buzz in the flowers. The sun is warm on my skin. And the girl in my lap has made this the best day of my whole damn life.
“Better slow down. I think our lucky streak of semi-public fooling around is going to run out soon,” I say, gesturing to a school group headed around the lane toward us.
“Damn kids,” she snorts. “But I’m having fun, and I don’t want this day to end.”
“So let’s go somewhere with no kids,” I suggest, letting her choose.
“Oh, I know the perfect place.”
Fifteen
Skylar
What is this day?
What is my life?
Who is this man who seems determined to make me fall in love with him, when I have no business falling in love with anyone?
What has he done to me?
First, the best sex of my life. Also donuts. Then, the fancy train lunch. A walk in the botanical garden. A wine tasting. All the while, making me talk about things I’ve never been comfortable talking about with anyone but my best friend.
And now, as we pull up to my crappy little house, there’s more.
There’s a furniture truck parked on the street, and two burly guys are hauling something large and bulky, wrapped in sheets of plastic, through my front door.
“Hold on,” I say as Finn parks the truck behind the furniture truck. “What is happening?”
“Don’t know. Let’s go find out?”
I shoot a look at him, and his face gives away nothing.
I follow the men through the front door just in time to see them setting up a brand new, gorgeous sectional.
“I didn’t order that,” I tell them.
I turn around to see Finn leaning in the open doorway, arms folded over his chest.
“What did you do?”
“Happy birthday.”
This is too much.
After the workers have gone, Nirvana comes out of hiding and climbs up Finn’s leg. He picks her up and holds her on his forearm like a football.
“Why? Why have you done all this?”
“You said you didn’t want to feel beholden to me.”
“I did.”
“And I don’t want you to feel that way, either. But there are things you need, and things you want. And I want you to have all of those things, free and clear. So, happy birthday.”
